2012-11-20 by Richard Weitz In his first post-election press conference on November 14, President Obama reaffirmed interest in achieving a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute since he believed the “window of opportunity” for a negotiated settlement, though closing, was still open. Obama explained that, “there should be a way…
2012-11-18 by Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake Dateline: Yuma, Arizona Later this month the first 2 F-35 Bravos are arriving at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma. As the future home of five F-35 JSF operational squadrons of 16 aircraft each and one operational test and evaluation squadron of eight…
11/18/12 by Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake Dateline Yuma, Arizona Second Line of Defense visited Yuma Arizona this week and the F-35 factory in Fort Worth focusing on the next phase of the F-35 program, standing up an operational squadron. We will have much to write on these events in…
2012-11-18 In a recent piece by Kym Bergmann in a Defence Special Report in the Weekend Australian, October 27-28 2012) an update has been provided on the development of the new Eurocopter Tiger helicopter with the Australian forces. As Bergmann notes: "The real test of a defense system procurement is…
2012-11-18 By Richard Weitz Even with the persistent security tensions, economic cooperation between Russia and South Korea has increased dramatically during the past decade. The commerce involves primarily the exchange of Russian oil and gas in return for ROK machinery and equipment. The South Korean military also purchases some Russian defense…
2012-11-17 By Richard Weitz Throughout the past decade, under both presidents Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, the Russia’s government policies towards North and South Korea have remained remarkably consistent. They have pursued several integrated key goals, strategies, and tactics in both the security and economic realms: Russian policy makers are eager…
2012-11-16 By Richard Weitz In addition to their security concerns, Russian officials are eager to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula and prevent abrupt regime collapse in the North in order to achieve their economic objective of greater integration with the prosperous East Asian region. Russians hope that closer ties would…
2012-11-15 by Robbin Laird Throughout the past two years a number of events have occurred which although discrete add up to a single story: the role of the West in the Middle East and North Africa is changing. And with the changing role of the West in the region, the…
